Skulduggery's nightmare
by I love Gibbs
Summary: What could get Skulduggery rattled?
1. Chapter 1

Alone. Skulduggery sat in his living room alone, Valkyrie having left moments earlier. He sat, unmoving, the events of the case replaying in his head…

Vampires came flying at him from all directions, Skulduggery reached for his beloved revolver. It was missing. He muttered a few choice curses and clicked his fingers, generating a fireball. So this was how he was to fight then. He pushed at the air and flew up, firing multiple fireballs as he rose. Until he heard a scream. Valkyrie. He couldn't leave her behind, leave her to die. To hell with it, he thought and swooped back down, picked her up, and rose rapidly. 'You ok?' he shouted over the rushing wind.

'Yeah' came Valkyrie's reply.

'I need you to reach into my rib cage, I have a bomb hidden in there for times like this.' requested Skulduggery.

'Erm, ok, this is awkward but yeah' said Valkyrie, who proceeded to undo his shirt buttons, retrieve the bomb, redo the buttons and handed the bomb to him.

'Thanks. Now cover your eyes.'

Valkyrie buried her face into Skulduggery's collar bones and braced herself as Skulduggery threw the bomb down onto the pile of angry vampires led by Dusk and Caelen. He then buried his face into Valkyrie's neck and cover her ears the best he could with his gloved hands. The bomb went off, catapulting bits of singed vampire flesh high into the air and onto every surface.

'It's over. Lets go home'

'Lets' agreed Valkyrie.

Valkyrie was driving away from Skulduggery's home in her Oompa Loompa, when she began to feel something odd was happening, something to do with her mentor. Screw it, she thought, and did a spectacular 180 and sped back in the direction she came from.


	2. Chapter 2

5 minutes later and the speed limit broken, Valkyrie arrived at Skulduggery's door and knocked loudly, before bursting through and finding him in his favourite chair, staring at a spot on the wall, rocking back and forth. She rushed over to Skulduggery shouting 'Are you ok? Skulduggery?!' no reply came. Valkyrie pulled him close, holding him tight and muttered to him 'Don't worry, I've got you.' She had never seen him like this. 'What's got you rattled like this, it's slightly unnerving!' still nothing. Valkyrie realised she needed to do something rash, and she knew it would be embarrassing, but she had no choice. She tried one more time. 'Skulduggery, what's wrong?' but she was met with silence.

Time for embarrassment to ensue. Valkyrie leaned over and placed a small kiss on Skulduggery's teeth. He reacted to that, tilting his head slightly, leaning ever so slightly into the kiss. As Valkyrie pulled away, Skulduggery realised who he had kissed but didn't mind one bit. 'Are you ok?' Valkyrie repeated, looking slightly flushed. 'Yes I'm ok, it's just a stupid fear,' came the reply.

'The great Skeleton Detective has a fear! Of what? A puppy?' Valkyrie smirked.

'No, of vampires' Skulduggery grimaced.

'Ah, definitely not a dog then' came Valkyrie's down hearted reply – she was hoping he was scared of dogs, being made of bones and all.

'No'

'So this case really was the worst'

'You don't say!' Skulduggery muttered sarcastically.

Neither one said anything. And an awkward silence appeared out of nowhere.

Valkyrie plucked up the courage and asked Skulduggery 'When I, you know, kissed you, you leaned in. Were you… enjoying it?' if Skulduggery had had flesh, he probably would have been bright red.

'Would it sound wrong if I said yes?'

'No, not really. One thing though.'

'Yes?'

'Can I kiss you again?'

Her reply came in the form of Skulduggery's teeth brushing gently against her lips, to which she leaned into, her hands pulling him closer. The kiss was long and sweet, and when they parted, Skulduggery whispered 'Doesn't me being a skeleton bother you?

'Not in the slightest' was Valkyrie's whispered reply. She cuddled into him, breathing I the scent of bone and material.

Skulduggery picked her up, placed her in his favourite chair and located the sofa-bed. As he pulled it out, he indicated to a pile of pillows and a duvet, which Valkyrie grabbed and placed on the now folded out sofa-bed. Skulduggery turned the lights out, and they both made their way to the bed and wriggled under the duvet. Skulduggery turned over and held Valkyrie close, letting her body heat saturate his bones, warming him from the outside inward.

And that's how they lay, until excited phone calls form Tanith to Valkyrie and Ghastly to Skulduggery announcing they were engaged woke them up, which elicited high-pitch squeals from Valkyrie and proud well dones from Skulduggery.


End file.
